Russian resistance is growing against Putin's war. But you cannot force people to fight.". Russian military regulations provide some legal justification and procedures for soldiers who disobey orders, according to Sergei Krivenko, a rights activist -- particularly for those who state they are anti-war, or pacifists. Each of our interviewees had dealt with dozens of cases and believed those soldiers were also sharing advice with their colleagues. Kononov said he stopped showing up at his unit and, instead, spent time with his friend at his home. A group of Russian soldiers recently sent Vladimir Putin a video complaining about "being sent to the slaughter" and begging for more military support in . Their official status is missing in action. Stas told his father about one particular battle. Russia Ukraine War One Year Anniversary Ukrainian troops and their UK military instructors, commemorate lives lost in the Russian invasion of Ukraine during a sunrise commemorative service, at . A Russian soldier who refused to continue fighting in Ukraine, he was beaten until his face was covered in blood, his father has claimed. I signed a contract. Independent Russian media have also been reporting hundreds of cases of soldiers refusing repeat deployments to Ukraine since the beginning of April. One commander in northern Russia requested a criminal case be brought against his subordinate who would not return to Ukraine, but a military prosecutor refused to proceed, according to documents seen by the BBC. By The Associated Press August 11, 2022. Quote from the General Staff: "Troops from the so-called . Hundreds were discharged after refusing to take part in the invasion, the Guardian previously reported. Instead they were expected to operate without even basic equipment, such as night vision devices, he says. 17 Russian soldiers were reportedly detained, Russian military unit deployed in the south would not figh, Everyone Practices Cancel Culture | Opinion, Deplatforming Free Speech is Dangerous | Opinion. Perhaps this is due to the weather conditions, which doesnt allow them to actively use military equipment now, the spokesperson said. DeSantis won't say he's running. Some troops are refusing orders, walking away from military bases or crossing the border into Ukraine and switching sides, media reports show. I want to return to my family and not in a casket.. "Those refusing to fight are doing so because they've had more than their fair share of front line action," explains Elena Popova. ET Saturday: A curfew in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, has been extended from 5 pm until 8 am every day At least 198 Ukrainians, including three children, have been . I have nothing to be ashamed of. Updated at 1:10 p.m. on April 14 to add that the soldier's lawyer has taken down the original photo of the service card. They didn't even [try to] dissuade us, because we weren't the first," Sergey told the BBC. Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine. Albert Sakhibgareev was sent near the Ukrainian border in early February for "training exercises," the . Not only are they clueless, but they're simply refusing to fight, Scherba, who is currently in western Ukraine, tells co-host Molly-Jong-Fast. 27-year-old Chinese man struggles to find job because he l King Charles to evict Harry and Meghan from Frogmore Cottage so he can give it to Andrew, 'Elvis' star Austin Butler was rushed to ER after 'body just started shutting down', Woke Chicago mayor loses re-election bid as city battles crime epidemic, King Charles evicting Harry, Meghan from Frogmore Cottage, giving to Andrew, Hoda Kotbs lengthy Today show absence caused by family health matter, Ed Sheerans wife, Cherry Seaborn, was diagnosed with tumor during pregnancy, Heroic bus driver saves student from passing car, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of Today After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Meghan Markle, Prince Harry have first night out since bombshell 'Spare' released. His unit moved on through the Ukrainian countryside, but there was a clear lack of strategy, he says. On 15 February, Ukraines Defence Intelligence reported that Russias losses were the largest since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Reports of Russian soldiers refusing to fight in Ukraine are also mounting. A Russian official this week responded to the Biden administration's refusal to rule out sending depleted uranium anti-tank munitions to Ukraine by warning that deployment of such weaponswhich have been linked to birth defects, miscarriages, and cancerwould be regarded by Moscow as use of "dirty nuclear bombs." According to . By India Today Web Desk: As Russian troops try to take control over Ukraine's capital Kyiv, residents of the city are taking up arms to stand in the fight along with the country's military against Moscow's invasion.India Today's Rajesh Pawar visited an office of the Territorial Defence Forces in the city, where citizens are being equipped with weapons to defend against and fight off the . The code has been copied to your clipboard. The soldiers testimony said war-weary soldiers were urged by superiors to return to the fight. Benyash said hundreds and hundreds of soldiers had been in touch with his team for advice on how they could avoid being sent to fight. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally, Daughter of Putin ally dies when car explodes, Russian media says, 'Russia is not Putin': 76-year-old Russian uses her art to speak out, Russian priest says he's helped 'thousands' of Ukrainian refugees get to Europe, Putin unveils imperialist mission: taking back land he says is Russia's, See rebranded McDonald's restaurants unveiled in Russia, CNN reporter was at Russia's Victory Day parade. Such an action would be "premature" without having assessed the harm to the military service he was involved in, the prosecutor said. The contract soldier was subsequently sentenced on July 21 to restriction in military service for one year, with a 10 percent deduction from his monetary allowance going to the state. The NY Times published a story on this topic today titled "Russia's New Offensive Sends Conscripts Into the Teeth of Ukraine's Lines." "Every day, sometimes more than once a day, small groups come forward and try to take our positions," said one of the Ukrainian soldiers who participated in the fight, and who asked to be identified only by his nickname, Diesel, for security reasons. Ukraine's Operational Command South reported in a . Russian troops release video as they say they will not fight. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports on the conflictin Ukraine as Russian President Vladimir Putin touts success, yet some ofhis soldiers refuse to fight. The soldier was a serving officer in the Russian army when Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine. Nearly all . At some point, Kaminsky's unit was then transferred to Luhansk, in Ukraines Donbas region. Im tired. According to Kaminsky, the pressure ended up working in part: As of July 16, 50 of the 78 soldiers who had demanded to return to their home base had relented. He gets it now. Produced by Will Vernon. Troops are saying no to officers, knowing that punishment is light while Russia is not technically at war. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized abandonment of the unit" in July, court records show. By early July, Kaminsky said, he'd had enough: He refused to fight, one of 78 soldiers from his brigade who have refused orders. Ilya Kononov, a contract soldier from the city of Pskov in western Russia, was charged with "unauthorized . So, they beat him over the head several times with a pistol. My contract ends in June. Separately, a military tribunal said it sentenced Kandarov to five years behind bars for evading military service during mobilisation for more than a month. Russias troops in Ukraine are largely made up of contract soldiers: volunteer personnel who sign fixed-term contracts for service. Reinforcements failed to arrive and soldiers were poorly equipped for the task of taking a large city. The prisoners at the penal colony in St. Petersburg were expecting a visit by officials, thinking it would be some sort of inspection. We were illegally jailed.. It soon became clear that not everyone was onboard with it. The Ukrainian military on Friday reported significant fighting near Ivankiv, about 40 miles north west of Kyiv, as Russian forces apparently tried to advance on the capital from the north. It said that the troops lacked support, while personnel in advanced positions didn't have water. Many soldiers, therefore, have chosen to be fired or transferred rather than going into the meat grinder, he said. Among them were 12 national guardsmen from Russia's . Reports from Russia said authorities would call up 300,000 people with "relevant" skills or military experience. We arent officially in a state of war, so they could not force me to go.. But that means that - while his letter of refusal to fight was accepted - there are no guarantees he won't be sent back to Ukraine during his service period. The whole time, not a single document was provided that would explain our arrest. They would be looking at time in prison.. "We rushed forward with short overnight stays, without trenches, without reconnaissance. Russian soldiers are increasingly dying from accidental friendly fire . Earlier Ukraines General Staff reported that invading Russian forces were seeing mass desertion among its troops amid Ukrainian military successes. Andrei Kolesnikov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment, said the authorities may be worried that a general mobilisation would antagonise large sections of the population that support the special operation. In another incident where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to fight in Ukraine, the country's Operational Command South said Sunday in a Facebook post that a Russian military unit deployed in the south would not fight because of a lack of vital supplies such as water. They were continually shelled, he says, both when moving and when parked overnight. "Pictures of Russian vehicles running out of fuel and casualties being abandoned where they . He said the "Russian invasion of Ukraine has triggered the most massive violations of human rights" being witnessed in the world today. A group of desperate Russian soldiers have issued an open letter by way of video to despotic President Vladimir Putin. Read about our approach to external linking. For some Russians, refusing to return to the front line may be a moral stand. Members of Wagner told the captive soldiers that mines surrounded the military base where they were being held and threatened to shoot anyone trying to escape, the soldier wrote. 1 min read. It is unfair, I am fighting in this war just as the others in Ukraine, risking my life, the soldier said. Several lawyers and human rights activists the BBC spoke to said they had been regularly offering advice to men trying to avoid returning to Ukraine. Frank Gardner looks at what lies ahead as winter arrives in Ukraine. "Later I was told that the building they were in had been shelled and that all five men were missing. Also, according to Dmytrashkivskyi, the 136th Brigade, which was formed for the war in Chechnya, has arrived in the Vuhledar area. But, he had been sufficiently worried about his unit's reaction to his refusal that he decided to seek legal advice. Source: cnnespanol All news articles on 2023-02-28 You may like. I will serve my remaining time and then I am out of here, he said. The servicemen were reportedly removed from their unit as punishment. In his unit of 50 people, 10 were killed and 10 others wounded. ", Russian mum's fight to save sons from Putin's war, Mariupol: 80 days that left a flourishing city in ruins, Pinned down by Russian fire in key frontline village. Law enforcement located the man, Marsel Kandarov, in September, the statement added. President Vladimir Putin had on September 21 ordered a mobilisation of hundreds of thousands of Russians to fight in Ukraine, sparking protests and an exodus of eligible men from the country. As a result of what I believe were tactical and strategic mistakes made by my commanders and their total disregard for human life I made the decision not to continue in the military operation, one soldier jailed for over a week said in written testimony to prosecutors, which was observed by the Guardian. For many Russian soldiers, the war in Ukraine is one they don't want to fight. This is one of many reported incidents where Russian soldiers have been accused of refusing to take up arms in Ukraine. Finance chiefs at a Group of 20 conference in India this weekend issued a joint statement condemning Moscow for its war in Ukraine, with only China and Russia declining to sign. The way my son was treated wasn't only illegal, it was inhuman.". Stas, an army officer, had written a letter to the . But after a certain adaptation period, our men fight brilliantly.". In July, the father of a Russian soldier told The Insider that troops were being detained or moved to a detention center in the occupied Luhansk region if they attempted to leave their posts. appreciated. Command post guard duty? In all, 78 soldiers including Kaminsky openly challenged his orders, and demanded to be either sent home or reassigned, he said. He says his convoy - travelling through northern Ukraine - broke up after just four days when a bridge they were about to cross exploded, killing comrades ahead of them. Russia blaming Ukraine for killing of daughter of Putin ally. "They beat him and then they took him outside as if they were going to shoot him. Russian servicemen near Kherson, Ukraine - 20 May 2022, By Olesya Gerasimenko and Kateryna Khinkulova, A convoy of Russian military vehicles heading towards the Donbas region - 23 February 2022, Local residents by a destroyed Russian tank in Sloboda, Chernihiv, Ukraine - 8 May 2022, Banner with the letters Z and V, in support of the Russian military, on a building in Moscow - 19 May 2022, Russian service personnel rehearse for the Victory Day Parade in Moscow - 7 May 2022, President Vladimir Putin visits soldiers wounded during the conflict in Ukraine - 25 May 2022, Pinned down by Russian fire in key front line village. They made him lie on the ground and told him to count to ten. 'I Had To Refuse So I Could Stay Alive' Anybody want it? the commander, a lieutenant colonel identified only by his surname Agafonov, can be heard telling the soldiers. A video showing two Russian soldiers being arrested after they refused to follow orders to fight in Ukraine has circulated on social media platform Telegram. They said no remains had been found. Despite speculation beforehand, Putin did not formally declare war on Ukraine during his Victory Day speech on 9 May. They've spent time in the trenches, getting cold and hungry, but when they come back they just get shouted and sworn at by their commanders.". Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has supported its eastern neighbour in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.Before the start of the offensive, Belarus allowed the Russian Armed Forces to perform weeks-long military drills on its territory; however, the Russian troops did not exit the country after they were supposed to finish. Why Russian Soldiers Are Refusing To Fight In The War On Ukraine. Heavy street fighting against Russian troops was underway in Kyiv as officials urged locals to take immediate shelter. He's changed completely. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories . The Russian defense ministry didnt respond to the Guardians request for comment. Some soldiers, under the threat of violence, were simply driven out to unknown destinations, they have not been seen since, said Vladimir, according to the Guardian. Russia has suffered a series of military setbacks in the Ukraine war that triggered criticism of the army's leadership. A Russian military unit deployed in Ukraine's south has refused to fight over a lack of vital supplies such as water, Ukraine said Sunday. He revealed to his father what had happened to him in detention: how a "different group" of Russian soldiers had tried to force him to fight. And this, according to a video on social media app Telegram, has . "Some soldiers, under the . Ukraine's Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova said all of the Ukrainian defenders on Snake Island were killed in an exchange with a Russian warship after they refused to surrender. When the soldiers of an elite Russian army brigade were told in early April to prepare for a second deployment to Ukraine, fear broke out among the ranks. Human rights activist Sergei Krivenko says he is not aware of any prosecutions of those refusing to return to the front. Without a formal . The URL has been copied to your clipboard. Of the 78 soldiers from Kaminskys unit who have disobeyed orders, some have been ordered held in a makeshift brig for days, he said. Russia launched the attack on Ukraine from three sides on February 24. People in Kyiv are being warned of street fighting and "subversive groups" on the third day of the Russian invasion, with reports of 198 Ukrainians dead nationwide since troops first crossed the . In . For four and a half months, Corporal Ilya Kaminsky and his fellow soldiers from the 11th Separate Air Assault Brigade have waged war as part of the grinding Russian military offensive that has slowly pushed Ukrainian troops back in eastern Ukraine. The Insider. By Timofei Rozhanskiy. In conversations with Current Time via the Russian social media giant VK, several soldiers from the brigade disputed the circumstances behind their inclusion on the wall of shame. In Kononov's case, court documents say that he pleaded guilty to evading military service and that he testified he wanted to take a temporary break from fighting in Ukraine. The airline carrier Wizz Air has announced it will . Feb. 27 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. 'I'd rather go to jail than fight in Ukraine', Surgeons operate on baby in Kyiv blackout, Station master arrested after dozens killed in Greece train crash, Covid origin likely China lab incident - FBI chief, Ukraine war casts shadow over India's G20 ambitions, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip, India anti-corruption crusader fighting to clear his name, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. 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As casualties have mounted, so have Ukrainian officials' efforts to appeal directly to the Russian people, saying they are being lied to about a war Moscow still calls a "special operation . Sergey's complaints about lack of equipment have also emerged in phone conversations alleged to be between Russian soldiers and their families, intercepted and posted online by the Ukrainian security services. ET. Did you encounter any technical issues? Never mind the myriad reports of Russian troops refusing to fight by the thousands, sabotaging their own shoddy equipment and even deliberately wounding themselves to abandon the war, Russian . Then I got a text message saying he and four other officers had been put in a basement. One year from the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine, a Catholic priest recounted how a Ukrainian soldier was spared from being killed by . April 7, 2022. In July, for example, 17 Russian soldiers were reportedly detained in the country's eastern Luhansk region after they said they would not continue fighting in the war and tried to end their short-term contracts. Video, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, Survivors describe 'nightmarish seconds' as trains crashed, Bieber cancels remaining Justice world tour dates, Daily walk prevents one in 10 early deaths - study, Trump lashes out at Murdoch over vote fraud case, Uranium particles enriched to 83.7% found in Iran, Why the lab-leak theory is being taken seriously, Finland starts construction of Russia border fence. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world. Troops from the Russian so-called Cossack Detachment are refusing to take part in offensive operations due to Russian forces heavy losses near Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast. Separately, a military tribunal in Moscow sentenced a soldier to five years and six months in a penal colony for beating an officer during an argument, Russian state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday. But the soldier later discussed with his father what would happen if he refused to fight. A Russian court sentenced Marsel Kandarov to five years in prison for refusing to take part in the special military operation. They forgot their military oaths, the ceremonial promise, their vows of duty to their Fatherland, the board reads. Unit commanders then staged an intervention. Read about our approach to external linking. The Russian authorities dismiss reports of disillusioned soldiers and detention centres as fake news. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 2023 RFE/RL, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Now, at least four want their superiors punished for the seemingly illegal arrests, according to the newspaper. VideoRecord numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. The soldier said he broke his contract and resigned from the brigade before the February 24 invasion, once he realized it was in fact going forward. "So off he went to Ukraine. Conscripts could fill some of the gaps, but they will be poorly trained. Sergei (not his real name) says his son was beaten with a pistol for refusing to go back to the frontlines, There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Three days of duty? More than 550,000 soldiers from Putin's failing army have been killed or injured so badly in Ukraine that they are no longer able to fight, according to Minusrus. 'I'm Warning You, This Is A Final Offer' Approximately 60 paratroopers from Russia's Pskov region have refused to be deployed to Ukraine, newspaper Pskovskaya . The attack is doubly unjust. Read also: UK intelligence estimates Russian losses near Vuhledar. During wartime, rules are totally different. Some Russian soldiers and even whole units are "refusing to fight" in Ukraine, top UK security officials reported today. Soldiers are refusing to fire artillery on civilians until they clear the area. "It was a difficult decision for him to take. As Russia has faced a surprisingly effective resistance from Ukraine, there have been reports of low soldier morale and chaos among the commanding ranks. Anyone? One consequence of the Kremlin refusing to declare war on Kyiv - the regime insists that its invasion is a "special military operation", a distinct legal status - is that its options for forcing servicemen to the front are more limited. A Russian soldier has been sentenced for refusing to fight in the war in Ukraine. While the exact number of soldiers refusing to fight remains unclear, such stories illustrate what military experts and western governments say is one of Russias biggest obstacles in Ukraine: a severe shortage of infantry soldiers. "But refusing to fight was a difficult decision for him to take. "We do not have any camps or incarceration facilities, or the like [for Russian soldiers]," President Putin insisted earlier this month. Poland sent the German-made tanks to help Ukraine repel Russian troops and send a "clear and measurable signal of further support", said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who was visiting Kyiv . Brigade commanders ask who wants to guard the second gunners unit. It caught fire and there were [Russian] soldiers inside. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. It is, first of all, a classic example of military aggression; it is a war without a just cause. Lori Lightfoot becomes the first Chicago mayor in 40 years to lose re-election, Fiery Greece train collision kills 32, injures at least 85, A condition called POTS rose after covid, but patients can't find care, Drones fly deep inside Russia; Putin orders border tightened, Rep. Lauren Boebert Gets Absolutely Schooled By Jamie Raskin Using Trump's Own Words, Russian invaders refusing to go on offensive in Vuhledar area en masse, Life Cover+ Multiple Benefits in one plan, Russia redeploys unit of brigade created for war against Chechen Republic of Ichkeria near Vuhledar, Bedraggled Troops Declare Glory to Russia in Saddest Video Ever, Ukrainian Forces Demobilize Russian Tanks Near Frontline Town. Fewer and fewer Russian servicemen want to fight for the Kremlin's invading plans. They don't care about the life of a soldier; whats more important is his position and rank, Kaminsky said. But without conscript battalions, Russia could soon struggle to hold the territory it currently controls in Ukraine, especially as Ukraine receives better equipment from Nato, he said. The range of experience varies. There are reports of mobilised Russian troops locked in cellars and basements for refusing to fight in Ukraine. "There are held in pits, tortured and things like that. Soldiers like Sergey - reluctant to return to the front line - are not unusual, according to Ruslan Leviev, the editor of Conflict Intelligence Team, a media project investigating the experiences of the Russian military in Ukraine through confidential interviews and open source material. Youre just a soldier for them; youre nobody.. In particular, conscripts are starting to cancel their contracts. All asked that their names be withheld for fear of further punishment or retaliation by commanders. He told me his face was covered in blood. I thought a long time about it and came to the decision. 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